Doctors, physicians, caregivers and other medical practitioners—they’re usually honored and well-respected in the communities. Their work is about serving others, a noble cause that deserves respect and admiration.
However, medical professionals too can slip up. Once upon a time, that meant an aggravated patient coming in the next day with their complaint. Today, in an era where millennials dominate the global healthcare population, it means bad reviews. It means a single social media post that evolves in a days-long discussion that ends up damaging the medical provider/practice’s reputation.
Millennials, unlike baby boomers or the generations before, are quick to change medical resources, while leaving behind poor reviews that hundreds, even thousands of people may know about.
The obvious solution for medical providers to avoid this is just providing quality care, right? However, poor online reviews often occur based on…
1. Problems with appointment schedules
Unless it’s a low to zero emergency issue, such as having acne checked out by a dermatologist, people prefer not to wait long for their medical appointments. Two to three week long waits for appointments are a big no-no.
While it’s not a direct problem with a medical provider’s or practice’s quality of care, it does demotivate other people from making an appointment if they are aware it takes too long to access healthcare.
2. Long wait times
Doctors and physicians who demand punctuality and fail to adhere to appointment times are the first in line of medical providers to disappoint patients.
People take the time out from their study/work/other activities to visit you, are there on time, only to face half-hour, hour-long delays.
In a fast-paced world, wasting patient time is no longer tolerated.
3. Lack of staff professionalism
What makes a service experience bad before the actual service, other than time issues? Poor staff behavior.
From the receptionist who gives out the patient number and provides information to calling patients, to the assisting physician, everyone’s attitude adds to overall patient experience. Rude, dismissive medical staff is another leading reason for disappointments and bad reviews.
4. Insufficient service/assistance
The “retail experience” is now expected of medical providers. Old-school healthcare is no longer permissible; patients expect respect and assistance. This means listening to the patient, acknowledging their concerns instead of simply pushing generic medical advice on them, and involving them in the decision-making process.
The key to great patient service is customization.
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